WHY WE DIE. 



89 



strength of 265,000 men in the British Force. There were 22,450 

 deaths from disease, of which typhoid fever caused 7991, or more 

 than one-third. Only 8590 were killed by the enemy, so that 

 more than two and a half times as many men died of disease 

 than were killed by missiles. 



In the present War, in France, the incidence of disease has been 

 extraordinarily low, and that of typhoid fever almost negligible. 

 This remarkable absence of typhoid among the troops on the 

 Western Front, that is, in France, where typhoid is by no means 

 infrequent in the civil population, is almost entirely due to pro- 

 tective vaccination. 



Among the Expsditionary Force in France and Belgium about 

 98 per cent, have been protected by anti-typhoid vaccination. 

 Up to October 25th, 1917, the annual tjrphoid admission-ratio 

 per 1000 has been nineteen times greater among the non- 

 protected than the protected. Among the non-protected, it has 

 been 9*4: per 1000, while among the protected only 0*5 per 1000. 

 The death-ratio is 84 times greater. Among the non-protected, 

 it has been 1'69 per 1000, while among the protected only 

 0*2 per 1000. Such figures are illuminating, and bear out 

 fully the fact that specific vaccination is not only the most 

 powerful prophylactic measure against the incidence of typhoid 

 fever, but the most potent preventive of death therefrom. 



A similar condition obtains, and has been in force for many a 

 year now, in the ordinary vaccination against small-pox. There 

 are other reasons, such as improved sanitary measures, better 

 housing, and greater care in preventing contact with infected 

 persons ; but giving all these their due weight, no unbiased 

 observer can ignore the tremendous influence of vaccination in 

 both lessening the incidence of the disease and fatal results there- 

 from. 



Wound Infection. 



While the soldier has been so wonderfully protected against 

 enteric fever, he has been exposed, particularly in France, to 

 infection of his wounds by the numerous bacteria which exist 

 in the highly manured and cultivated soil in which the trenches 

 have been dug. Imagination does not need to be great to under- 

 stand how, when a missile strikes a soldier, it will carry in with it 



dirt " from the air, ground, clothing, and skin, so that bacteria 

 — part of this " dirt — are introduced into the man's living 

 tissues. The bullet may strike a vital part, and the combatant 

 is killed at once ; this is death by accident. The shrapnel may 



